Area codes 304 and 681
With the growth of telecommunication services, in particular proliferation of cell and mobile phones and fax machines, news reports in 2007 indicated that West Virginia would soon need a new area code.They wanted to spare their northern West Virginia customers, particularly in rural areas, the burden of having to change telephone numbers, which would have required reprogramming of all cell phones.Over the following two weeks, numerous state and local government officials and various business interests voiced strong opposition to a split, in favor of the overlay option.Several telecommunications providers officially appealed to the Public Service Commission for an overlay, which was unanimously approved by all three commissioners on February 13, 2008.[5] Permissive ten-digit local dialing of numbers in the existing 304 area code began no later than July 26, 2008.
area codesNorth American Numbering PlanU.S. stateWest Virginiaoriginal North American area codesoverlay planmobile phonesCharlestonParkersburgHuntingtonBluefieldBeckleyWheelingMorgantownMartinsburgClarksburgGovernorJoe Manchinarea code 208WilliamstownSt. AlbansKanawhaPinevilleWyomingHarrisonRaleighCabellKeyserMineralMonongaliaWorthingtonMarionBethanyBrookeMoundsvilleMarshallWeirtonHancockWebsterHarmanRandolphInwoodBerkeleyWilliamsonFalling WatersBerkeley SpringsMorganWhartonBramwellMercerBrandywinePendletonPetersburgTuckerGraftonTaylorWestonRavenswoodJacksonElizabethRivesvilleIvydaleBurlingtonMullensViennaCoalwoodMcDowellFort AshbyAthensBarboursvilleRidgeleyBelmontPleasantsAlum CreekLincolnMadisonHintonSummersChapmanvilleMiddlebournePhilippiBarbourRock CaveUpshurNew CumberlandPaden CityWetzelRowlesburgPrestonFranklinKingwoodFairmontSmithfieldMill CreekAuburnRitchieGrantsvilleCalhounPiedmontGassawayBraxtonShinnstonRipleyBruceton MillsAnawaltDunlowReaderChesterMiltonRupertGreenbrierKermitBeech BottomPrincetonHurricanePutnamNew MartinsvilleSistersvilleSuttonTerra AltaWest MilfordWest UnionDoddridgeWellsburgMatewanKenova